Car-coupling



(No Model.)

H. PARKER, S12, E. SGANLIN, H. PARKER, Jr. 85

H. H. SKEVI'NGTON.

GAR GOUPLING. No. 546,864. Patented Sept. 24, 1895.-

H RRY PARKER, sR, EDWARD so NLIN, HARRY PARKER, JR, AND HENRY H. SKEVINGTON, on PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,864, dated September 24, 1895.

Application filed March 8, 1895. Serial No. 541,022. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, HARRY PARKER, Sr., EDWARD SoANLIN, HARRY PARKER, Jr., and HENRY H. SKEVINGTON, citizens of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers, of which the following is a specification. 1

The object of our invention is to provide a car-coupler simple in construction and effective in operation by which the couplingof cars;

is effected entirely automatic and the uncoupling manually by means of levers accessible from either side and the top of the cars to be uncoupled.

.A further object is to provide a car-coupler which is not only automatic in coupling, but

which may be connected to any known coupler now in use on freight and other cars.

The improved coupler is also adapted to conwhether they are high or low cars as regards coupling.

Our invention consists of a car-coupler comprising a coupling-bar having a wedge-shaped and sidewardly-bent coupling-hook mounted in a slideway or housing, a link pivoted to a yielding block also contained in said housing, and means for turning the said link.

Our invention further consists of the improvements hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

1n the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of two of our improved car-couplers, showing the way in which the coupling of cars is effected. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the improved carcoupler, showing in connection therewith a wayib ofthe housing B and is provided at one end with a spear-shaped hook O, extending below the axial line of the draw-bar b, forming a shoulder 6 Fig. 2. The draw or strain'to which the draw-bar is subjected is transferred to the housing B by means of a spring 0, surrounding the other end of the draw-bar b and pressing against a washer of a nut c on the bar I) and a washer of the housing B.

Directly below the channel or way b and parallel therewith is provided a bore 11 in which a sliding block (1, constantly pressed forward by a spring d, is mounted. This spring d isheld. within the bore bya plug 01 secured in any manner to the housing, but preference is given to a bolt d passing through the housing B and plug 01 as shown in Fig. 3. To the sliding block at is pivotally secured a link D in such a manner that it can be turned with its free end above the axial line of the drawbar I), and also that it can yield backwardly or away from the spear-shaped hook G.

The hook O, as before stated, is located be low the axial line of the draw-bar b, so that the eye 0 thereof is almost or, if desired, entirely in line with the pivot of the link D. The extreme outer portion of the spear -shaped hook C is bent sidewardly, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, so that when two cars are coupled these extreme outer portions lay side by side, allowing also sufficient play when the coupled cars are drawn over curved roads.

To disengage a link D from a hook O or to uncouple cars any means may be provided; but excellent results have been obtained by providing the following mechanism, which is operated from either side or top of a car. This mechanism consists of a lever e, pivoted to one side of the housing B and engaging with its free end one member of the link D, so that when the lever c is turned upward or downward the link D will be moved in the same direction until, as in the downward movement, it is stopped by the projections i on each side of the housing B. The movement of the lever e and link D is effected by a rock-shaft h, journaled in bearings 71., attached to the car, and this rock'shaft h is provided with an arm 7L2 and handles 72. the latter extending beyond the sides of the car, so as to be easily operated by hand. The handles 71 are also provided with weights h so that when the link D is in one or the other position-2'. e., for coupling or no couplingit will be held in either one by the said weights 714. The lever e and arm h2 are connected by a link 7L5, and the arm 7L2 is further connected with a shifting-rod h, extending to any desired distance to the top of a freightcar or to a platform of a passenger or other car in such a manner that the rock-shaft h, and thereby the link D, can be operated from the top or the platform of a carfin addition to being operated from either side of such car.

The operation of the improved car-coupler may be briefly stated as follows: To couple ears having our improved coupler it is desirable to hold the link D of one coupler out of range of the hook O or link D of the other coupler, as shown in Fig. 1, and this is accomplished by turning the rock-shaft h either by one of the handles k or the shifting-rod h The cars to be coupled are then merely forced together. The link D of one coupler, which is maintained in a horizontal position, rides over the spear-shaped hook of the other coupler and engages the eye 0 thereof when or before the bumpers a come in contact. Should, however, the links D of both couplers be in a horizontal position and the cars be forced together, each one will, when one bears upon another, yield backwardly and upwardly until one link leaves the other to ride over the apex of the hook O and drop into the eye 0 thereof, as will be readily understood. To uncouple cars it is necessary only to lift the free end of the link D of one coupler engaging the hook O of the other coupler by means of the lever 6, link 71. and rock-shaft, which is operated either from the sides of a car by the handles it or from the top of the car by the rod h.

To couple one car having our improved coupler with a car provided with a common link-coupler, as shown in Fig. 2, the link D may be used, as shown, in which case the attendant in charge must put in the couplingpin 00; but if it is more desirable the common link Z, used in the common link-coupler, may be employed, and in such case the link is held in the link-coupler L by means of the pin 00, while the link D of our improved coupler is held out of the way by the lever e and rock-shaft h. If new the cars are forced together, the link I rides over the upper edge of the hook O of our improved coupler and engages the eye 0 thereof.

To couple a car having a Janney coupler to a car provided with our improved coupler pin so is inserted after the link D is brought into or between the jaws of the hook j, as shown in Fig. 3. However, a common link Z, as shown in Fig. 2, may be employed to connect the pin or with the hook G.

Having thus described the nature and obj ects of our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A car-coupler comprising a housing a draw-bar provided with a spear-shaped hook held within the same, a yielding link pivoted to a guide block contained in said housing, and means for operating said link, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A car-coupler comprising a draw-bar having a spear-shaped hook as described, a link pivoted to a block yieldingly held in a guide way, a lever in contact with the under side of the link, to form a stop for and keep the link in substantially a horizontal position, and means connected to said lever to elevate the free end of the said link, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A car-coupler comprising a draw-bar provided with a spear-shaped hook and slidingly contained in a way of a housing attached to a car, a link pivoted to a block mounted in a bore or way of the same housing, a spring tending to push the said block and link outwardly and means to turn the said link about its pivot with the said block, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. A car-coupler comprising a draw-bar contained within a housing attached to a car, a spear-shaped hook on said draw-bar forming a shoulder abutting the said housing at one end, a spring inserted between the housing and a nut on the other end of the said drawbar, a link, yieldingly secured to the said housing and means for operating the said link, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. A ear-coupler comprising a housing a draw-bar slidingly mounted therein, a spearshaped and sidewardly bent hook on said draw-bar, a yielding link pivoted to a block contained in said housing and means for turn-' ing the said link about its pivot consisting of a lever pivotally attached to the housing, a rock-shaft connected to said lever and journaled to the frame of the car and means for operating the said rock-shaft from either side or the top of the car, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. A car-coupler comprising a housing, a draw-bar slidingly mounted therein, a spearshaped hook on said draw-bar, a link pivoted to a block yieldingly contained in said housing, projections on said housing to limit the downward movement of the said link, and means for turning the link upwardly about its pivotal connections with the said block, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. A car-coupler comprising a housing, a

draw-bar slidingly mounted therein, a spearshaped and sidewardly bent hook on said draw-bar, a coupling link pivoted to a yielding block contained in said housing, projections on opposite sides of the housing to sup port the coupling link in substantially a horizontal position, and means for operating the said coupling link, comprising a lever pivoted to the said housing and engaging with its free end one member of the said coupling link, a rock-shaft journaled in bearings at tached to a car, an arm on said rock-shaft, a link between said arm and said lever, and handles assisted by weights to maintain the said coupling link in a position to automatically couple cars, or topermanently keep the said coupling link in a position in which it cannot come in contact with either a pin, hook or link of an adjacent coupler with which the coupler is to connect, substantially as and 20 for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our signatures in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY PARKER, SR. EDWARD SGANLIN. HARRY PARKER, JR HENRY H. SKEVINGTON.

Witnesses:

HERMANN BORMANN, ERNEST LOWENGRUND. 

